NJ News Commons membership criteria, community guidelines and FAQs

The Center for Cooperative Media’s mission is to grow and strengthen local journalism for the benefit of New Jersey residents. We are a grant-funded program of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. Our flagship project is the NJ News Commons, which is a network of media outlets across the state including hyperlocal digital publishers, public media, nonprofits, television, radio and newspaper organizations, that work together on collaborative projects, share content, network and generally support one another.

We invite any and all New Jersey news and information organizations to join the NJ News Commons.

The following document specifically outlines what membership in the NJ News Commons entails, to give prospective members a better idea of what to expect if they choose to become a part of our network.

BASIC RELATIONSHIP DEFINITIONS

Below is a list of basic definitions of the terms that we use to describe the various types of relationships and associations different entities have with the Center.

Funders are organizations and/or individuals who provide funding or financial support to the Center

Partners are peers and/or organizations who work with or are affiliated with the Center with some regularity.

Members are local news and/or information providers who belong to the NJ News Commons.

Friends are individuals who may or may not be in the local news and information industry, but have some interest or stake in the fate of the industry and the players who inhabit it, and who associate with the Center with some regularity.

NJ NEWS COMMONS MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA

To be accepted as a member of the NJ News Commons, organizations must:

Be a news and information provider who serves residents of the state of New Jersey.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I have to pay to join the NJ News Commons or the Center?

No. The Center is a grant-funded program based at a state university and the NJ News Commons is our flagship project. At this time, we do not charge membership dues. Some of our trainings, events and conferences have registration fees, which will be clearly noted on registration forms.

What’s the difference between the Center for Cooperative Media and the NJ News Commons?

The Center for Cooperative Media is a grant-funded program based at the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University, and its mission is to grow and strengthen local journalism for the benefit of citizens in New Jersey. The NJ News Commons is one of the Center’s flagship project and it refers specifically to the network of New Jersey media organizations who have agreed to be members of the Commons.

Who funds you?

We are currently funded by Montclair State University, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Democracy Fund and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Will you fund me?

In the past, the Center has been able to re-grant money to seed startups, pay for business coaching, pay for reporting on collaborative projects and fund mobile journalism experiments. Each of these grant opportunities has been project-based, however; the Center is not currently funded to make ongoing operational grants. You can learn about project-based funding we offer by being sure to read our daily and monthly newsletters.

What if I’m not a journalist, but I own a technology company/marketing organization/am a communications professor, etc., and want to be affiliated with the NJ News Commons or the Center?

While only media organizations and independent journalists or freelancers can be official members of the NJ News Commons, the Center for Cooperative Media partners with all kinds of different companies, groups and organizations that have a vested interested in support a healthy news and information ecosystem. If you are interested in partnering with us, click here to send us your information.

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

These guidelines govern how we expect NJ News Commons members to interact with each other. We ask members of the NJ News Commons and all partners of the Center to conduct themselves according to the following guidelines:

Respect the privacy and personal information of others. No doxing. We strongly discourage people from publishing personal information about others. Do not share personal information about other people that violate their right to privacy.

Be courteous and constructive. For the sake of a strong and healthy debate, we aim to foster constructive and focused discussion between our members and partners.

Be open to debate and dissent. One of the most important requirements for maintaining a vibrant intellectual space is to promote and focus on the intelligent discussion of ideas. We are all still learning and no one knows everything.

Be honest and truthful. Try to be clear and straightforward about what you are saying, but remember that people may interpret your contribution differently than you originally intended. Avoid knowingly disseminating false or misleading information.

Refrain from personal attacks. Threats and abuse will not be tolerated. We don’t want to stifle debate, but we ask you to find ways to share your views without being divisive, threatening or toxic to others.

Watch your language. Racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of hateful speech will not be tolerated. There is a difference between criticising ideas and attacking people on the basis of their race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, etc.

Avoid blatantly commercial or spam-like material. Sharing information that is intended solely for commercial purposes is not permitted.

Moderators have the final say. When it comes to online forums, groups, and other communication channels, our moderation style is pretty tolerant. Most forms of self-expression are fine, even some of the more colorful or questionable forms, but try not to go overboard. Moderators of our online communities reserve the right to edit or remove a post if it violates any of the above guidelines.